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Rep. Kresha's leadership endangers constituents

Little Falls and Long Prairie State Representative Ronald Kresha holds a powerful position in the Minnesota Republican party. Rep. Kresha is the GOP’s Whip. Since the GOP was in the majority in the last legislative session Kresha was the Majority Whip in the House of Representatives.

Here’s what Wikipedia says about the Legislative Whip. 

“A whip is an official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are the party's "enforcers"; they invite their fellow legislators to attend voting sessions and to vote according to the official party policy. The term is taken from the "whipper-in" during a hunt, who tries to prevent the hounds from wandering away from the pack. Additionally, the term "whip" may mean the voting instructions issued to members by the whip.”

Since Ronald Kresha’s job is to keep the hounds from wandering away from the GOP pack he has to be a Party-line man. That is to say he has to vote the party line. As whip, he has to set an example for the hounds to follow. The party and its agenda comes first.

Rep. Kresha told me some years ago that he wanted to listen to all his constituents. At the time, he was speaking of new immigrant constituents in particular. I believed him then. But I’m wondering now if his leadership position as Majority Whip puts his constituents in the back seat.

Since I care about the environment I took a look at Ronald Kresha’s voting record on those subjects. It appears his votes are pretty much pure party line.

On May 14th he voted to restrict the DNR from making rules to reduce the use of lead ammunition on DNR lands. The DNR argues that lead is used extensively on DNR lands and that its use harms both wild life and humans The Republican Party says the DNR has no right to make rules to protect humans and wild life.

Using the same principle Kresha voted, on May 3rd, to not allow the DNR to restrict the use of neonictonide insecticides on DNR land. Although the pesticides harm honey bees and wild pollinators Kresha voted against letting the DNR to make a rule to protect pollinators. Then he got the Party Hounds to line up behind him and they voted no as well.

On April 23rd Kresha voted Yes, and got his Republican colleagues to vote yes, on restricting the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to establish wild rice sulfate water quality standards. Once again, the Republicans under Ronald Kresha voted that a state agency (the MPCA) does not have the authority to take action to protect the environment and their constituents. Fortunately, Governor Dayton vetoed this bill.

The list of attacks on the environment by the GOP, under Ronald Kresha’s leadership, is lengthy. Kresha consistently abides by the GOP principle that government agencies, using scientifically obtained facts, have no right to establish rules to protect citizens. That ill-conceived principle endangers his constituents. 

Government should serve the people and not some extremist Party agenda.

 You can check on various Minnesota legislators conservation voting records here: http://www.checkmylegislator.org

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